Chocolate Mousse

This is the only recipe I copied out of my textbook Professional Baking before giving it to Techie Smurf.  (My edition is long out of print.  Did I really pay that much for it?!). I used this mousse as the filling for his wedding cake, then beat the leftovers into the frosting to make it creamier.

Being from a professional textbook, most of the ingredients are in weights.  I clearly scaled this down and changed the eggs from weight to apiece.  I may have even done the math from metric.  Brave me.  I do like that this recipe uses a whole egg instead of only the whites.  Bobby Flay's recipe looks at least as good as this one, but I didn't want to end up uneven on the yolk side.

Yes, this uses raw egg whites, but you do cook the yolks.  Freshness is the key.  You can't use pasteurized egg whites from a carton because they won't whip, but you could use meringue powder if you're worried about immunocompromised guests.  Adjust sugar as necessary.

I'm cleaning up the amounts a little, but you're going to need a food scale.  Nothing except the egg is an even package size.

6-2/3 oz bittersweet chocolate
2 Tb + 2 tsp water
3 eggs, separated and room temperature
1 Tb water + 2 tsp vanilla
1-1/3 oz sugar (weight)
2/3 C chilled heavy cream

1.  In a large saucepan, melt chocolate and water together over medium-low heat.  Stir frequently until smooth.

2.  Beat egg yolks into chocolate and stir constantly until mixture thickens slightly, signaling that the eggs are cooked.  This will take at least 5 minutes.  Stir in water and vanilla.  Set aside to cool slightly, but it should still be fluid.

3.  Whip egg whites and sugar into a sturdy meringue.  Fold into the chocolate.  (Why you used a comically huge saucepan for a cup of chocolate.)  It's ok if there are still some lumps, because you're going to mix it again in a bit.

4.  Whip the cream to soft peaks.  Fold into the chocolate mixture until no obvious lumps remain.

5.  Pour into serving bowl, individual ramekins, or whatever you're going to store it in.  Don't worry if it seems too thin now; it will firm up after an hour or two in the fridge, once the chocolate hardens.  Chill before serving.

6.  Top with dollops of whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving.  Or, use as cake or pastry filling.  It can be run through a pastry bag with a delicate hand so you don't deflate the egg whites.  Just keep the designs chilled so they hold shape.  You can add it to softened chocolate buttercream icing to give it a smoother texture and to make it easier to pipe.

Makes about 4 cups, 8 to 10 individual servings

Difficulty rating  :)